Netanyahu awarded damages after being called ‘mentally ill’
JERUSALEM — Even by the often toxic standards of Israeli political discourse there are limits, a judge ruled Monday, awarding damages to the newly designated prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and members of his family in a libel suit they brought against another former prime minister, Ehud Olmert, who had described them as being “mentally ill.”
The ruling brought an end to a lurid and at times circuslike courtroom drama during which Olmert brought witnesses to testify about disturbing goings-on in the Netanyahu household, including accusations of afflictions such as eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive behavior, narcissism and paranoia.
But, according to the judge, Amit Yariv, despite all the hours of testimony, Olmert failed to establish or produce any professional medical diagnosis to back up his assertions and had gone beyond the bounds of expressing an opinion in good faith that would be protected by the principles of free speech. The judge ruled that Olmert had defamed Netanyahu; Netanyahu’s wife, Sara; and their eldest son, Yair, in a television interview that Olmert gave around the time of a bitter and inconclusive election in the spring of 2021.
“Another mendacious plot against Prime Minister Netanyahu, his wife and family has been shattered,” Yossi Cohen, the Netanyahus’ lawyer, said in a statement after the ruling, which was broadcast live.
“It is good to know that, even in the crazy and delusional world in which we have grown accustomed to, the tolerance with which crude and hurtful falsehoods can be spread about the prime minister, his wife and family, clear and absolute boundaries have been set, putting an end to Olmert’s evil lie,” Cohen added.
The Netanyahus had demanded about $250,000 in damages but were awarded $18,000 in total.
Olmert’s lawyer, Amir Tytunovich, tried to turn the loss into a win.
“The final result is that by serving the suit, the harsh statements made by Mr. Olmert received wide exposure and were brought to the attention of the entire public,” Tytunovich said in a statement.
“The Netanyahu family, who turned to the court in the hope of receiving a ‘certificate of sanity,’ came out without one,” he added.